MOSAIC - Heritage and Coexistence: Learning from the Past for the Present

Описание: MOSAIC. Heritage and Coexistence: Learning from the Past for the Present

Editorial coordination: Casa Árabe
Francisco García (Casa Árabe)
Elena Calvo (Algaravía Association)

City: Córdoba, Spain
Country: Spain
Participants: Samira, Lucía, Alicia and Elena – students of the Art School Mateo Inurria


This episode is part of the MOSAIC project, a transnational youth cooperation initiative dedicated to exploring and strengthening awareness of Arab cultural heritage across the Mediterranean.

In this episode of MOSAIC Spain, students from the Art School Mateo Inurria reflect on the relationship between heritage and coexistence in contemporary Córdoba. Drawing on their experience of visiting the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, Medina Azahara and the historic Jewish quarter, they question how Andalusian heritage has been narrated, interpreted and sometimes simplified through religious, touristic or exoticized lenses.

The conversation explores how the legacy of Al-Andalus is often romanticized as an “exotic paradise,” overlooking its historical complexity and the coexistence of multiple cultural traditions. The students discuss how narratives shaped by institutional, religious or commercial frameworks influence public perception of heritage, and how this affects the way citizens relate to their own city.

The dialogue then connects past coexistence with present realities of migration and cultural diversity. The participants reflect on how contemporary debates around immigration, identity and cultural appropriation echo historical patterns of exchange and transformation. Heritage is understood not as a static monument, but as a shared and evolving space shaped by encounters, tensions and creativity.

The episode also addresses questions of conservation, restoration and institutional responsibility, including the challenges of archaeological preservation and the delicate balance between reconstruction and respect for historical authenticity. As graphic design students, the participants consider their own role in shaping more responsible, critical and inclusive visual narratives about Andalusian heritage.

Heritage emerges as a living dimension of identity, not a touristic postcard, but a complex memory that calls for awareness, reinterpretation and civic engagement.

MOSAIC – Mediterranean Outreach for Strengthening Arab Identity & Culture is a youth cooperation project co-funded by the European Union through the Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù under the Erasmus+ Programme. The project promotes intercultural dialogue, youth participation and awareness of Arab cultural heritage across the Mediterranean.

The project is coordinated by Amal for Education APS (Italy) and implemented in partnership with Casa Árabe (Spain), Generation Change (Malta), Amal İnsani Yardim Derneği (AİYD) (Türkiye) and ERNA (Türkiye).

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Follow the project:
https://mosaic-stories.eu/

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